Great Lakes Brewing Co. expands distribution to cover all of Indiana

Bartenders Leigh Hausser and Kevin Graham pour beers on a busy late afternoon in the Great Lakes brewpub Tuesday, July 10th, 2018, in Cleveland.

The oldest craft brewery in the state has previously served the South Bend region for the past decade but is expanding its reach with Cavalier Distributing. The company currently distributes in 12 states, covering most of them, and Washington, D.C.

Great Lakes Brewing Co., the largest craft brewer in Cleveland and the oldest in the state, announced that it's expanding distribution to cover the entirety of Indiana.

The brewery has served the South Bend region of the Hoosier State for the past decade. A partnership with Cavalier Distributing will enable it to reach across the state starting Aug. 20.

"After 10 years of only distributing to the South Bend Area, we are excited to finally bring our beers statewide in Indiana," said GLBC regional sales manager Kevin Hack in a statement. "This fits our growth strategy of deepening our market presence within the Great Lakes region."

The company said the new market rollout will involve customer appreciation events, meet-and-greets, special tastings, and giveaways throughout the region.

GLBC's distribution touches 12 states — covering the entirety of most of them — and Washington, D.C.

The Conways recently spoke with Crain's about the business' future plans for growth in light of its 30th anniversary this summer and the recent purchase of 8 acres of land on the Scranton Peninsula for a future project.

The brewery is far and away the largest brewery in the Northeast Ohio market producing 150,000 barrels annually. Crain's 2018 breweries list shows how others stack up and how 78% of brewers in the region today have opened since 2010.